The Call
by Lozalot
Summary: Movie-One shot. When Sentinel killed Ironhide, Optimus had to alerted the other Autobots. It's a call that would devastate and change Ratchets life forever. R R Please!


Title: The Call

Universe: Bay-verse, DOTM.

Pairing: Ratchet/Ironhide

Warnings: slight slash, implied relationship, character death.

Summery: When Sentinel attacked and killed Ironhide, he had to alert his troops and make a command decision. It was a call that turned ratchets world upside-down.

AN: first TF story I've ever done, or put up, just a short little one shot that came to me after watching DOTM. May have a few follow on later. Advanced apologies for the possibly misspellings, I have dyslexia and have trouble using spell check. But if there is anyone out there with time to spare and an interest in smutty, slashy robot stories. Sling me an e-mail!

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His world was falling apart. In one moment his reality shattered, one moment and everything he'd held close, everything he'd clung to in this existence to get by was gone.

Ironhide was dead.

Killed by Sentinel Prime.

Optimus's words still ringing in his ears. The Prime had broadcast on their emergency signal, reaching to all Autobots simultaneously everywhere.

_/Autobots! We have been betrayed. Sentinel Prime is working with the Decepticons. All Autobots are to scatter and regroup! He has already claimed one victim./ _Ratchets spark had sank at the news, one of their number was gone. Who? He ran though all those that had been escorting Sentinel. Mirage. Sideswipe, Bumblebee. He dared not think who.

_/Ironhide his gone. Sentinel has callously killed him via cosmic rust infection/_

His processor stalled, his spark freezing in its casing. He'd being racing down a road with Q when the call began. Now his brakes had engaged and he'd come to a screeching halt in the middle of the road.

No… it was a mistake… it couldn't be… not him. Primus please let it not be so…

_/I repeat, Sentinel Prime has killed Ironhide, he has attack us and our allies, he is now to be considered a hostile foe./_

Oh dear primus no… Not caring who saw, he transformed, falling to his knees with grief. His spark opening up and called out to his partner, his bond-mate. But all he got was dreadful silence. An empty nothing where once a warm gruff response would have been heard. He wailed in anguish. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. How had he not noticed!

Having battled through the war for centuries, over time the pair had learnt to completely block the other during mission time. This served to keep them both focused and unhindered by the others feelings or pain. They had both been happy by this as early on the intense emotions of the other during battle had cased them problems. But now, Ratchet, pounded the ground, cursed to the pit their dedication to their duty and the barrier they had willingly from between them.

He hadn't even noticed his lovers passing. He'd gone, died alone and in no doubt tremendous pain. He'd let him go without a fight, not providing him comfort in his last moments. Not telling the gruff old frager how he adored him… How much he loved him. Ratchet sobbed in anguish. Not only had they been betrayed by one they had revered and trusted, he had taken away the one thing the medic had held precious in all the cosmos.

His world had been broken in two and in the most awful of ways. Cosmic rust was a hideous way to die, he'd seen it's affects far to many times, and each time he opted to put the poor bot out of their misery as quickly as possible instead of letting them suffer from the painful and inevitable death. The rust corroding every molecule of their Cybertronium frames, eating away relentlessly at a mechs body till there was nothing left but flakes. The pain to terrible to bare. He'd let him die like that… alone. That was no way for Ironhide to have gone. He deserved a far more noble a death.

"Ratchet… my friend… I am, so, so sorry." Q said, his own hurt at the loss seeping into his vocal processor. A blue hand gently rested on the doctors luminous green shoulder as he sobbed. The small comfort he tried to offer, no way combating the medics guilt an anguish. "My friend, I know your hurting something terrible, but we need to go. It's not safe here, we are receiving coordinates. We need to keep moving." The inventor said softly, gently but firmly, urging the medic to his shaky feet.

_/To all Autobots, rendezvous at the sent coordinates,/_ Optimus continued, unrelenting. _/As of now, Ratchet is now my second in command./_

What? New shock washed through him. No. he couldn't. He wasn't in a fit state to lead, in any capacity, especially not now. He was shaking in his plating with grief, his processor fuzzy and spark aching with loss. What was Optimus thinking! Those blasted dumpster twins Skidds and Mudflap would be a better choice to lead under Optimus at the moment.

"Ratchet please, we have to go! Now!"

"He c-can't… I can't do that… I can't take his place… I-I-," he stammered, his deep voice full of static. Q took his arms and gently shook him, making him look down at him.

"Yes you can." He said sternly. "I know you wish to morn him now, and it is wrong, but you must save it for a later time." His said, the inventors own spark braking at the anguished look on the medic face. "Right now, Optimus needs you. We all need you. You owe it to Ironhide to carry on in his stead. I can think of no better way to honour your mate, my friend, then to perform his duty as well as you have your own."

They stood a moment in silence, Ratchet taking in and processing the blue Mechs words. All he wanted to do right now was curl up in a dark room somewhere and scream till his voice box gave out. It felt like someone had come along and cut out his very spark. But Q was right. They needed him. With Ironhide gone, Optimus and his fellow Autobots need him now more then ever. There was still people to save, a fight to be won and now vengeance to be had here. Ironhide would never have backed down from a good fight. He choked back another sob. Ironhide. His spark pulsed heavily in his chest. That gear grinding bucket of bolts. How much he already missed him.

Ratchet off lined his optics and took a long deep intake of the fume filled city air. He steadied himself, quietened his hurting spark and cleared his processor. A process he had done so many times in the past, his way of readying himself for battle. To put aside the fear, hurt and pain. To be the level headed doctor they required. He now needed to step up and take the mantle his mate had left. To be the soldier and commander they now needed. There would be plenty of time to grieve later. Right now there was a job to do.

"Ratchet?" came the gentle question. His optic onlined and he looked down at the inventor. The blue mechs optics shone brightly with concern.

"I know Q. Now is not the time to morn." He said gruffly, placed a servo on the shorter mechs shoulder. "Thank you for your words."

"Any time my friend." He gave a small sad, gently smile.

"The rendezvous isn't far. Lets get going."

"After you commander." The mech said as he transformed. An odd feeling washed through Ratchets circuits at the title he now inherited, he shuddered as he followed suite, transformed and took the lead as they head off back down the street.

_/Ratchet to Optimus./ _Ratchet called to their leader._ / Q and I are on our way. What is your present location?/ _

_/I am currently in pursuit of Sentinel./_

_/Who is with you?/_

_/No one, I ordered all our troops to the contact site./_ If it were possible, the medics optics would have been boggling. Sometimes he wondered just how their Prime had managed to stay alive this long with the amount of noble but blatantly stupid decisions he made.

_/Your alone! Your going after that fraging pit viper alone!/_ Ratchet practically screamed down the com link. _/You fraging idiot! Is your CPU actually online! Or are you trying to get yourself killed?/_

_/I want answers Ratchet./_

_/And you think I don't?/_ He yelled harshly, accelerating his speed, turning on his sirens andnow hurtled down the road, causing cars and pedestrians to carer out of his way.

_/I do not wish to risk anyone else./_ Ratchet made sure the Prime heard the growl of frustration down the link.

_/I'm sending Q onto the meet site, I'm locking onto your position and I'm coming after you!/_

_/I do no-/_

_/I'm also having sideswipe meet us!/_ He said sending a message to both the inventor and the silver front liner. Informing them of his decision and orders.

_/Ratchet! No!/ _ Optimus begun to protest.

_/You need back up!/_

_/I can handle Sentinel./_

_/Like Frag you can!/_ He snapped, veering off down a side road as he and Q split up.

_/Ra-/_

_/Do. Not. Argue. With. Me./_ He snarled harshly. _/He's claimed one life today, I will not give him the chance to take another!/_ The prime didn't answer immediately. It was a few moments silence before Ratchet heard the Primes deep tones.

_/My friend… I can not begin to-/ _

_/Don't./ _He said firmly. /_Now is not the time. We have other things to worry about./ _

_/Understood./_ Optimus rumbled lowly. _/I'm coming up to sentinel now!/_

_/Optimus! Waite! We are almost there! Do not do anything foolish till I get there Prime!/_ Ratchet yelled, accelerating further, his sirens blazing_. /Do you hear me! Because if you do, you might as well forget Sentinel! I'll frag you up so badly you'll wish Unicron himself had chewed you up and spat you back out!/_

_/Ratche-/_ the link was cut off. Ratchet let out a string of curses. The Prime must have caught up with his mentor. He commed Sideswipe and told him to get his aft in gear and get to their Primes location ASAP. He just prayed that Primus was watching over his child and that Optimus would be alright till they got there. If he wasn't… he'd make dame well sure that he beat it into the Prime never to do anything so frelling stupid, like running after a murdering son of a Rizerian slugs, without him ever again!

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So? What do you think? Any good? Really bad?

Love to know what you think?

But please, as I said earlier, I do have dyslexia and have tried my hardest to spell check this no need to tell me it suck on that. But if there is anyone out there with an interest in slasy robo porn and wants to be a Beta reader. Drop me a line.


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